


Heaven Nor Hell

by AlphaVerse



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Drama, Fallen Angels, Fluff, Gen, I havent written in ages, Im sorry I don't know what I'm doing, M/M, Multi, Nephilim, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-02
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2018-01-17 21:34:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1403233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphaVerse/pseuds/AlphaVerse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The union of a fallen angel and a human was taboo of the worst kind. And so from the moment of Eren’s birth, Heaven and Hell’s creatures had set their sights on him. Because sleeping within him is the power of the Nephilim, evil giants who in the past, threw the world into chaos. If this power is allowed to awaken, Eren will have the ability to unite and command others of his kind, wreaking havoc not only against earth and humanity, but also against Heaven. And Hell would like nothing more than to join the fight against God and his angelic creatures. <br/>Enter Armin Arlert. One of Heaven’s loyal soldiers who has been tasked to keep watch over Eren, with explicit orders to strike the youth down if at the first sign of that evil power manifesting itself. Will Armin be able to keep his God given mission, and prevent the realms from falling into catastrophe? Or will his feelings get in the way, thereby allowing the Nephilim to tip the balance between Heaven and Hell?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Genesis-Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to apologize from the get-go. I haven't written anything in ages so I'm not that confident in my writing ability. Hope it isn't too bad though. 
> 
> Also apologizing for any formatting issues. I'm on my netbook and its throwing a fit, as well as I'm getting used to posting on this site.
> 
> UnBeta'ed because I'm too embarrassed to have my friends read over it for me.

_Genesis 6:1–6_

_"Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose…. There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown._

_The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”_

The first time Armin’s deep blue eyes met Eren’s bright emerald orbs, Eren was but a mewling infant in his arms. He must’ve been just few months old. So small, but warm and helpless as he cried, tears streaming down those delicate blood splattered cheeks…

Armin glanced to the side where a woman’s body lay still, where she had been struck down. A growing puddle of crimson seeped out onto the dirty street beneath her. The child’s mother… The poor wench…if it had been him that had gotten to her first, he could’ve spared her such a gruesome death. At his hands, her death would’ve been a peaceful one at least.  
The blonde’s attention was pulled back towards the bundle in his arms as its crying ceased. He wondered briefly if the infant had somehow found comfort within his arms. It amazed Armin how fast its tears were replaced by happy gurgling, its small hands blindly reaching heavenwards. 

Curiosity has always been one of Armin’s greatest faults. The last thing he should be doing was standing in the dark alley way, scrutinizing a human baby. Especially not when more of Hell’s vile creatures were no doubt on their way to collect the child.  
But the blonde could hardly help it…Even after centuries of watching humans, his curiously over them seemed to never cease as they never seemed to stop surprising him. 

So lost in his thoughts, Armin was caught off guard when small hands managed to grab and tug at the long, gold locks that spilled over his shoulders. 

_Could the destruction of Heaven be really in the hands of such an innocent child?_

Armin’s thumb pressed lightly against the baby’s cheek, attempting to wipe away some of the blood and tears off his skin.

_No…he may be innocent now…but in a few years who knew what kind of monster he would turn into…._

He let his hand fall away, clenched tightly at his side. 

_It had to be done. Innocent or not. To end it right here and now. For the good of everyone in the future._

A light flourishing motion of his fingers was what it took for a small, golden blade to manifest itself on the palm of his hand. He brandished the weapon, hesitantly raising it high above the infant. 

Unaware of the fate that awaited him, the child continued to gurgle, happily abusing Armin’s scalp as he grabbed at his tresses.  
Armin’s hold on the blade tightened, his hand shaking as he continued to hesitate.

_Grisha Jaeger…Just one of many who had Fallen…and proceeded to further disgrace himself by taking a human for a mate…_

_G_ _risha…He should be the one to punished…not this child…_

_But it was too late now. This course of action was unavoidable._  
  
There hadn’t been a Nephilim in many, many centuries…the infant was the first of his kind in such a long time…But they couldn’t be allowed to live…no ,not again. Not after the havoc they wreaked when the world was still young. And especially not now, not when the world was already worse off.

Armin took a deep breath, jaw clenched as he steeled himself for the kill.

To give humanity a future he had to take this child’s future from him.

"…Forgive me…" Armin whispered a silent prayer as he pulled his hand and the blade back to deliver the killing blow.  
It was then that a cold breeze blew behind him accompanied by a fluttering of wings. Armin froze, the blade halting in its intended path. Relief flooded him, grateful for the sudden distraction.

"You could do it, you know. Get it over with. Save us all the trouble later on," The voiced drawled on behind him. "I could just say I didn’t get here in time to bring you the message."

Armin dropped his hand, the blade disappearing into nothing but glimmering fragments of light. He frowned, readjusted the child in his arms and turned towards the intruder.

"What do you mean? Did He decide to spare the child after all?"

The winged figure raised a brow as his eyes settled on the cooing infant cradled protectively against Armin’s chest. “He didn’t say it right out…but he implied it. ” The messenger moved, stepping past the blonde to survey the bloody scene at the end of the dark alley way. His face scrunched up in disgust. “Did you do that, Arlert?” He motioned with his chin towards the woman’s body.

Armin frowned, displeased at how he was skirt through the subject at hand. But the blonde answered him nonetheless, making sure his annoyance showed in his voice. “Don’t be ridiculous. A demon got to her before I did,” He explained, reaching down to untangle the infants fingers from his hair. “Then it attempted to take the child with it afterwards” Armin’s eyes shifted towards the disintegrating remains of the demon he had fought off and killed. 

The figure hummed. “So they already know about him…It’ll be just a matter of time before they send more after him.”

"What exactly did He imply?" Armin advanced, his voice laced with impatience. He could tell that the smaller man was avoiding having to explain it to him. 

The brunette shrugged, pretending to be more interested in surveying the scene. Honestly, he regretted arriving before the blonde could finish off the infant. He wasn’t ashamed to say that he would rather have the source of any future problems snuffed out before they became a pain in his rear end in the near future. 

"He simply said that the future was not set in stone. And before you ask; No. I don’t know what He’s thinking ” He waved a hand dismissively. "You know how much He likes being cryptic."

If Armin hadn’t known him for thousands of years he would’ve been shocked, scandalized at how the other could just act in such a way towards the Father. 

A small sigh escaped Armin’s lips, his attention focusing back on the child that had fallen into a slumber in his hold. “What do we do with him?” Armin scrutinized the look the other figure was giving him and let out a long suffering huff. “I’m not going to kill the child if I don’t have to, and neither are you, so you can just forget it, Levi. I’m going to go talk to Commander Erwin.” 

Without another word, Armin unfurled his wings, holding the child securely against his chest before taking to the skies. Not only was he anxious to put distance between them and any of hell’s creatures, but was also itching to get this matter settled.

"You don’t need to, since I already did," Levi grumbled, catching up with him in no time.

"And?"

"And… Erwin plans to have the child hidden away with humans and station a guardian to keep an eye on him."

Armin’s brows furrowed. That seemed like a sensible plan. Taking the infant back to the Heavens was not a wise idea, as it would raise a commotion within its inhabitants. Hiding him with the humans and dispatching a guardian to watch over him was sensible.

"And you agree with Erwin’s decision?"

He could imagine Levi rolling his eyes at question. “I trust Erwin’s decision.”

It was a simple answer, but it was enough for Armin. He nodded. “I’ll do it. I’ll keep guard over him.”

Levi arched a brow. “You’re going to have to be able to kill him when the time comes, Arlert. Are you sure you’re up for it? Will you be able to kill him when his power starts to manifest?”

"I will." Armin’s clenched his jaw, eyes narrowed in conscious determination. "I won’t fail my duty to Father, to the heavens and to humanity.” 

Armin tilted his head down, peering down at the child’s peaceful countenance and in his chest he felt his hear give out a weak stutter. “I swear I will strike him down when the time comes.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had meant to write and post this sooner, but I got sick with the cold. orz Anyways! Thanks for the comments, kudos and views. They're more encouraging than you know <3
> 
> Also, in my head, Angel Armin has long hair...maybe to about his chest. Because Armin with long hair is extra sexy >u>

It was in the summer of his fifth year that Eren Jaeger decided that he was old enough to go gallivanting outside all by himself.

Earlier that day, his mother had promised to take him outdoors to play to heart's content with the condition that he take his afternoon nap without fuss. And that he did eagerly, putting his toys away and climbing into bed. So imagine his dismay upon waking up to find his mother being held hostage by whoever was on the other end of the phone.

He had tugged at her skirt for attention, and she smiled down at him, patting his head. ''Five more minutes,'' She whispered, turning her full attention back to the conversation she was having.

A few more minutes of waiting couldn't very well hurt. And so Eren busied himself dashing around the house to collect the things he wanted to take to the park with him. A small plastic pail and its accompanying shovel for use on the sand box, some of his favorite superhero and action figures. He took some of his toy cars along, some of which he was excited to show off to any kids he ran into at the park. He was proud of them because they were still new and shiny. All his simple worldly possessions were unceremoniously dumped onto a little toy wagon.

He expected his mother to come out from the kitchen any minute now, but when she hadn't, Eren peeked around the corner into the kitchen where she stood. Just as he thought.

She was still on the phone, talking animatedly into it. Impatient to go out and play, Eren went to tug at her sleeve.

"Not now, Eren. Go wait in the living room.''

It was at that moment that Eren began to resent the phone, seeing it as something that came between him and his playtime.

He sat beside he wagon, double checking his things to pass the time.

Another few minutes ticked by

And another...

And another...

The more he waited, the less time he had to play outside, Eren reasoned as he stood up, a decision forming in his mind.

He knew how to get to the playground by himself. He'd walked there countless of times with his parents.

It was simple, he told himself; walk towards the house with the ugly pink shutters at the end of the street. From there he was turn left, following the sidewalk until he came to a pole with flashing lights that told him when he could cross. After crossing the street he would need to keep walking until the spotted a line of trees. That signaled where the park began and hidden behind those was where his sandbox was, among the other playground equipment.

With the directions of the playground mapped out in his mind, Eren collected his things and marched out the door.

It was bright outside, the sun's rays immediately making an assault on his eyes, but that did not deter him. Tugging at his wagon, Eren smiled to himself as he set off to follow the path he had made in his mind.

He felt proud, walking down the street alone. He'd show his parents that was a big boy. He didn't need to take naps, or be accompanied when he went out to play. He was capable of doing it all himself.

A few minutes was all it took him to arrive at the house at the corner, and in no time Eren approached the crosswalk. He stopped at the curb, his head tilted upwards as he tried to recall what his mother had taught him while they were out on their walks.

If the lights were in the shape of a hand, it meant that he shouldn't cross, but if the stick figure of a man appeared followed by some numbers it meant that it was alright to start walking towards the other side.

He looked up again, noticing a series of numbers already flashing through the screen...

13.....12...11...

Those must be the signal for him to start crossing..

10...9...

Eren shrugged and without another thought stepped off the curb, pulling his wagon along.

8...7..6...

He had to stop midway, as he felt the wagon stop and give out onto the road. Eren looked over his shoulder and yelled out a curse word he had heard someone say on the TV. He was glad his mother was not present to hear him though. She'd have been very cross at him, probably sent him to his room with the threat of washing his mouth out with soap. Yuck.

5....

4....3....

At his inspection, Eren found that one of the wheels of his wagon had fallen off. Something it had been doing a lot of as of late. Probably a consequence to him dragging it around with him all the time. He grumbled at it, angry that it was delaying him from his destination.

All he wanted to do was play in the sandbox. He would build mounds out of sand,pretend they were small houses, and his figures would be their inhabitants. He would imagine them as tiny people fleeing in terror as he stomped through their village.

He just wanted a nice afternoon in the sun to play pretend, now was that really too much to ask for?

Eren attempted to jam the wheel back on, but to no avail. He didn't quite understand how it worked yet...And when this had happened before, his mother or father would be there to fix it for him.

2.....

Straightening himself, Eren kicked at the side of the wagon as yet another dramatic expletive began to form on his lips. However, he was never able to utter a sound, and any hint of anger or frustration melted into sheer terror as a car barreled towards him, horns blaring.

Eren back pedaled, ultimately tripping on his own feet in panic and haste. His eyes automatically squeezed themselves shut as he fell back, startled. He could feel the bite of jagged rocks, stone and whatever else lay on the filthy pavement bite into his elbows, his hands and forearms no doubt bloodying them.

But that was the least of his worries. He waited for an impact, something bigger, harder to press against him, something that was going to make it look like the pain on his scratched up elbows were but a paper cut...But there was nothing.

And that was when he first laid eyes on the stranger. Eyes blue like the ocean, soft golden hair that seemed to float around his head like a halo...It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen...Even more beautiful than that detailed helicopter model he had seen at the toy store and threw a tantrum for when his father wouldn’t get it for him...Even more beautiful than the dinosaur shaped cookies his mother made...prettier than those flowers she tended to in her garden, the ones that she had warned Eren never to trample on.

So captivated was Eren of this beautiful apparition that he had forgotten about the pain on his elbows, forgotten the car that had been on its way to flattening him into the ground.

Eren released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

_Damn it all! He almost lost him! He had turned his back for a bit and he almost lost him!_

Armin gripped the hood of the car, his fingers leaving angry little dents in the meta. At that moment he felt nothing but pure anger. His eyes dangerously narrowed into slits, glaring at the man on the driver’s seat.

The way his head lolled, his eyes blinking rapidly, unnaturally...the dumbass was drunk out of his mind...It just made Armin's blood boil further.

He had half a mind to haul the car up into the heavens and let it drop from there. It scared him a bit to think of the sick pleasure he would get from watching the car and an its occupant crumpled into the earth for what he almost did to the small child.

Taking a few calming breaths, Armin managed to reign in his anger.

He had materialized and interfered without even thinking. It was as if his body had moved on its own accord. He was swimming into dangerous waters so to speak...making rash decisions when it involved the young boy. But at least he still had the presence of mind to materialize into a human form, masking his wings and all his heavenly qualities from human eyes.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, concern written all over his features, and laced in his voice . As he turned to face the child, he waved his fingers, causing the cars tires to deflate behind him. There. He wouldn't be endangering anyone else by driving drunk at least.

The blonde knelt in front of Eren, his blue orbs darting and scanning over the small boy's frame, searching for bodily injuries.

The boy gaped at him, sitting up straight and holding his bloodied elbows for show.

Armin drew in a sharp gasp.The damage wasn't at all that bad...children his age were always getting scrapes such as these...but it was something else that Armin was witnessing to that frightened him.

For a moment, he wondered if he should've not stepped between the child and the car...

Right infront of his eyes, small, but steady puffs of steam seemed to be emanating from Eren's wounds, the damaged skin repairing itself.

The Nephilim's power was so strong in this child's blood that it was manifesting itself so early on...Even though it was pretty harmless now that power would only grow more.

"H-hey mister...." Eren whispered in slack jawed awe and admiration.

In the distance, Armin could hear someone frantically calling the Eren's name. The boy's mother...She was nearby and he couldn't allow himself to be seen and further involved.

"A-Are you a superhero!?" The boy grinned excitedly. His excitement was cut short though as he finally honed in to the sound of his mother's voice in the distance. His head whipped around, eyes searching for her.

Armin smiled fondly at the child. It was his cue to leave.

"That's a secret...." His voice but a whisper as he let himself fade into thin air.

When Eren turned his head back, he was disappointed to find the beautiful stranger to be gone. But he didn't have time to dwell on it as he heard his name being called once again, closer this time.

Uh oh...Busted. He was in real trouble now. His mother was screaming hysterically as she made her way towards him.

  
~~~~

 

Armin watched from where he perched on a rooftop. His legs pulled up to his chest, arms folded on top of his knees and head rested on his arms. He heaved a sigh.

He was glad that Eren had been adopted into a a good home...One where he was well loved and cared for. His adoptive mother had looked so frantic at finding him...Had hugged him close, inspecting him for injuries.

He stayed and kept on watching as a police car arrived at the scene. He snorted in approval when the drunk behind the wheel was cuffed and shoved into the back of the police car. Served him right. He watched the rest of the scene with disinterest, his thoughts lingering on other things.

"You've grown too fond of him, Armin."

The blonde didn't need to turn around to know whose voice it was that had spoken to him.

Armin hid his face in his arms as Marco took a seat beside him.

"I know I don't have to tell you how dangerous that is....'' Marco pressed on. He knew it was a sensitive topic for Armin, and by the way the blonde was hiding his face behind his arm, and the silence, he didn't want to talk about it. But as his friend, Marco had to at least try.

"You could always pass on the duty to someone else. No one would hate you for it."

Armin shook his head stubbornly, his voice muffled. "I'm going to finish what I started."

No way in hell was he just going to hand Eren -- the responsibility of watching over Eren to someone else. He didn't trust anyone else to put in the same dedication he had to this boy. And considering his likely fate in the end, Armin was determined to let the boy have a chance in life. To live a good, happy and normal life. He at least deserved that much.

Marco sighed, reaching out to ruffle blonde hair. That was that. End of conversation. He'd known Arlert long enough to know when to stop. Really, he was too obstinate for his own good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to attempt and post a chapter each week, depending on how busy I get with work and how much inspiration I get (haha writing is tough). Next weekend I'll be at Sakura Matsuri in DC so most of my free time during the week will be dedicated to getting ready for it, so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to write. But I will update as soon as I'm able.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~~ As usual, thank you for the feedback, whether it be comments, kudos and views. They're all greatly appreciated!
> 
> I'm so terrible with describing things so this took me extra longer orz 
> 
> Again, apologizing for any grammatical/spelling errors. If you find any, please do point them out!

It pained Armin to sit back and watch Eren's development over the course of a few years. He had hoped that Eren would have a happy, wholesome life. He had hoped if Eren grew up right, that somehow that would stave off the evil and corruption that would, in the future, threaten to consume him. But that's all they were--naive, wishful thinking.  
Armin had a front seat as to the train wreck that was Eren's life.

The downward spiral had probably started off with the deterioration of his adoptive parents' marraige. As child, the constant conflict and tension between the two had adverse effects on him. To make matters worse, it was during his parent's divorce that it was revealed to him that he had been adopted. For someone as young as Eren, his parent's divorce coupled with that revelation was a definitive blow. As if that wasn't bad enough, no one had answers to who and where his biological parents were.

It was just too much for a young boy to handle. He felt betrayed and unloved, seeing everything in his his life as nothing but a lie. He didn't feel like there was anyone he could run to, nothing to help him cope, so Eren lashed out.

For Armin, watching someone he had come to care for suffer and not be able to do anything about it hurt. Many nights, he'd watched Eren cry himself to sleep and wished nothing more than be able to wrap his arms around the young boy. To tell him that he wasn't alone, let him know that things were going to be alright.

There was really little Armin could do to help Eren. It wasn't as if he could just meddle as he pleased. He still had rules to follow after all, and breaking them , more likely than not, had their consequences. Heaven was keeping close tabs on Armin. There always a threat that if he made the wrong move, Eren would surely suffer for it. Armin was careful with his dealings pertaining to the boy.

It was only if Eren's life itself was on the line that Armin was permitted to intervene.

And so he stepped back and let life take its course.

 

\--------------------------

 

By the time Eren entered highschool, he was already infamous for being a delinquent. Armin didn't know for sure if it was that Nephilim blood coursing through Eren's veins that contributed to his short temper. A temper that would constantly have him in a trouble with his peers. Granted, it wasn't always Eren that started fights, but he certainly was the one who ended them

Much to Armin's chagrin, Eren had also gotten himself involved with the wrong crowd. Namely, a local gang who liked to refer to themselves as the ''Titans''. The group mainly comprised of hot headed teenagers who thought they were making a statement by rebelling against laws and society.

They skipped classes, bullied people, vandalized property, smoked, stole, started scuffles that sent people to the hospital. The list of their atrocities stretched on and on. And as a result of his involvement with the gang, Eren spent the majority of his freshman year of highschool in and out Juvenile hall.

Miraculously, through all those brawls, Eren's power hadn't manifested itself, save for his abnormally fast healing...so Armin didn't need to step in and fulfill his duty. Not saying that he wasnt on the edge of his seat, nervously waiting for it to each time...

Armin kept telling himself that It was nothing more than teenage rebellion...That he didn't need to smite the boy, because the things he was doing were still within human boundaries.

He had deluded himself with these thoughts, that when the time came that Eren began to exceed those boundaries, Armin froze.

It appeared to be just another typical night. Eren and his gang had been up to their usual antics, loitering in shady places, doing equally shady things. Trouble started to brew when a rival gang from the area arrived and started to accost the group. Soon enough scathing insults were hurled, punches were thrown and an all-out brawl started between the group. This time though, it was Eren's gang at a disadvantage out numbered and outgunned.

The rival gang had come prepared, armed with baseball bats, and pipes, set on carrying out their revenge on the group for trespassing into their turf. And if Armin remembered correctly, just a few weeks ago Eren's group had harassed and sent members of the same rival gang to the hospital...

'You reap what you sow' had never sounded so true at that moment.

While the majority of Eren's group had fallen, Eren himself was still putting up a fight. Armin fretted as he tried to decide whether or not to interfere. He knew Eren could hold his own in a fair fight, any injuries he sustained from them weren't usually serious so Armin hadn't needed to step in.

While Armin contemplated, he had missed some words that were exchanged between Eren and his opponents. He guessed it had been a jab towards Eren's personal family life, (something of a sore spot for the green-eyed youth) and Eren's temper exploded. Seven against one was very far from a fair fight, and without his mates to back him up, Eren was getting a serious beating

The moment Armin had decided to finally intervene, his worse fear began to transpire before his eyes.

A bone chilling roar of rage escaped Eren's mouth, a sound so in human that his attackers detached themselves from him. They hovered in a warped circle around him. They were no doubt afraid, but also curious. Armin too, froze, eyes glued to Eren's form.

The youth was on his knees, back slumped and head bowed down. Steam emanated not only from his wounds but his nose, his mouth,his ears, and from what it seemed like every pore on his upper body.

Armin could see it, the changes in Eren's physical form. His hair once cropped short began to lengthen down the nape of his neck, and overgrowing bangs hiding most of his face from view. Even his ears underwent a change ,elongating until they narrowed into a point. Armin's eyes flickered towards Eren's hands resting on the filthy ground, fingers curling as once blunt nails beget sharp claws.

It was when Eren's head moved to look up that his audience was able to survey the grotesque distortion of his face.

His strange appearance coupled with the growl reverberating from deep within his chest finally sent his attackers fleeing in terror.

A few frantic heartbeats later, Armin was able to gather himself he disappeared for a moment and reappeared behind Eren, a golden sword already in his hands. Eren seemed to notice his presence, (thanks no doubt to his new found power) whipping his head to look over his shoulder. Whatever glimpse of Armin he had was limited as the blonde brought the pommel of his weapon violently against the side of Eren's head.

Armin's stomach clenched at the sickening sound the sharp blow made against his skull, but it was effective in rendering the boy unconscious. Armin took a step forward as the teen's body pitched forward, catching Eren before the boy could hit his head on the pavement. He pulled Erens limp body against his, his lap pillowing Eren's head. He gazed down sullenly, fingers soothingly threading through brown hair.

He silently watched Eren gradually revert back into his human form. He left a few more minutes pass before collecting Eren into his arms and transporting them back to the teen's empty home.

Gently, he lowered the unconscious boy onto his bed, taking the time to arrange him into a comfortable position before pulling the covers up.

As much as he wanted to stay and watch over him, Armin still had a mess to clean up which included taking care of the delinquents Eren thought of as his friends, and hunting down those kids who had witnessed to the change.

If possible he preferred that no one remembered what had happened tonight. The less people knew, the better he could protect not only Eren, but them too.

Most importantly, he had matters to attend to in Heaven as they had probably been alerted to tonight's ongoings.

Armin lifted his hand,laying two fingers against Eren's temple where they began to glow in soft golden light. He leaned forward, pressing a delicate kiss against Eren's forehead.

_"Forget...''_

 

\-----------------------------

 

If this kept up, there would be no turning back for Eren. Armin would have to kill him before he did serious, irreversible damage, before he attracted the attention of Hell's creatures and drew them to him.

It was that inexplainable, unconditional affection he felt for the boy that drove Armin. If one thought that Armin had spent those years watching over Eren, avoiding thinking about having to kill him one day, they would be gravely mistaken. The thought of having to end Eren's life one day drove Armin to think of ways to avoid it.

He was nothing if not determined to fight for Eren.

There were always some kind of loop hole that could be used to his advantage.

Anything for Heaven's emissaries to allow him to let Eren live even after his powers started to come to the fore. Over the years, Armin had come up with solid reasons why Heaven would be able to make use of Eren for good.

Over the years, Armin had filed these ideas in his mind, expanding on them, so he could make argue a case for the boy when the time finally came.

Now was that time.

 

\-------------------------------------------

 

It took a lot of convincing, and argument, but in the end, Heaven had granted him a chance to show that could reign Eren in. A chance to prove that the power of the Nephilim could be used to the benefit of Heaven and mankind and ultimately be used to fight against Hell.

He had bought more time for Eren with a gamble. Eren's life, the welfare of two realms and Armin's own heavenly grace.... so much was riding on this wager.

Armin now looked into a mirror, quietly observing his reflection.

Gone were the sharp features of his face, instead replaced instead by a boyish countenance. A small button nose in the place of the sharp one that had adorned his face. His strong, chiseled jawline reduced to a more rounded shape. His eyes were bigger, wider, but the color itself remained untouched.

Armin consciously reached up to touch the ends of his hair. His head felt oddly lighter now that it was short.  
Out of all the changes he had made in appearance, it was his height that was the most disconcerting. He didn't know how long it was going to take him to get used to being this short.  
A small sigh escaped Armin's lips. He figured it was time to stop criticizing his looks in the mirror (Angels had no businesses being so vain!) and get on with it.

Armin tried to control the wild pounding in his chest as he braced himself.

This was it. This is where his gamble begins.

Armin stepped through the portal and set foot back into the human realm.

 ~~~~~~~~~~

((Btw, I saw this [fanart](http://zilleniose.tumblr.com/post/60807924565/losing-control-of-my-life-here-are-the-flat) by zilleniose that was what I'd imagine Eren would look like in his very early stages of transformation. I thought it was very fitting~))

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has any questions regarding the fic:  
> e.g.: like how did Armin knock Eren out when 7 guys beating on him couldn't do it. A: As an angel, Armin, of course, have superior powers and otherworldly weapons have a better impact of hurting otherworldly creatures such as Eren.)  
> I will try my best to answer. (I'm really just b-sing my way through this fic orz) Feel free to ask/harass/suggest/etc. at my tumblr: alphaverse.tumblr.com
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, I kept dozing off while editing this, so uhm, I wouldn't be surprised if I've missed a lot of things. I do apologize, and please do point them out. 
> 
> As always, thank you for the feedback, advice, messages, etc.!! <3

_What in the hell happened last night?_ Eren sat up in bed with a groan. The morning light filtering in from his windows were far from gentle as it assaulted his sensitive eyes. He ground the ball of the palm of his hand against his eyes in an attempt to adjust to his surroundings.

Eren looked around his room as if doing so would suddenly help him make sense of things. It was especially difficult to try and piece things together with the pounding headache he had coupled by an irritating ringing in his ears.

The last thing he could remember from last night's events were hanging out with his mates at the alley behind the abandoned pharmacy store.

Thomas had stolen a pack of his father's cigarettes and Mylius had provided the gang with a few bottles of cheap beer. He vaguely remembered Hitch complaining about being bored as they'd had to cancel their original plans thanks to the rest of their group not showing up.

Everything beyond that was hazy. Had he drunk too much and passed out? But then how in the hell did he get home?

One of his mates must've been sober enough to bring him there, Eren concluded.

Fingers carded through his hair, attempting to flatten out his bed hair. He let out a massive yawn, which was abruptly cut off when he noted the time on his bedside clock.

 _Shit! Fuck! Goddammit!_  He was going to be late for class at this rate.

He briefly fought with the bed sheets untangling them from his legs before throwing them off of him to lie in a crumpled pile on the floor. He dug around his drawers before bolting towards to the bathroom, a set of fresh clothes in his arms.

Eren threw caution to the wind when it came to school and his studies. His grades and attendance were abysmal, but he usually made sure he did enough just to let him get by.

Just yesterday, the principal had threatened him with summer school and even worse, being held back a grade if he didn't get his act together. He'd had to take remedial classes the past two summers and he'd like to not go through that again. Having to repeat a grade would just be even more trouble on his part, not to mention his peers would never let him live that down.

Conforming to the Principal's wishes was easier said than done. Eren had gotten so used to slacking off that it was difficult to suddenly just break the habit. It didn't help the fact that his classes were all monotonous, and his schoolmates just as equally so.

Eren gave himself a once over in the bathroom mirror before padding back to his room to grab his backpack. He didn't even bother to check its contents before tiptoeing through the hall.

Halfway through the steps, Eren spared a glance at the door of his mother's room. The woman was no doubt still sleeping, tired from her ridiculously late night shift at the hospital. Recently, she had been taking overtime , no doubt so she could avoid having to spend time with her problematic child. Over the years their mother/son relationship had deteriorated, especially after the divorce, for which Eren was sure she partly blamed him for.

Brushing bitter thoughts away, Eren made his way out of his house. Grabbing his bicycle, the youth pedaled in the direction of the school.

 

\---------------------------

 

Armin nervously fiddled with the edge of his sweater while he sat in his seat.. Every few seconds his eyes would flicker towards the clock that hung at the front of the room.  
Where was Eren!?

It felt like forever ago since Armin had arrived in the classroom. He had briefly introduced himself to a room full of teenagers at the instructor's request, then complied when he was told to take one of the empty seats near the back.

He had left Marco in charge of watching over Eren during this first day, he couldnt be very well at two places at once, it just didnt work that way.

Eren just probably overslept..Yeah that was it. That was a common thing Eren did after all...or maybe he changed his mind about coming to class today. If that was the case, then he'd be in a load of trouble.

Marco was quite capable of protecting Eren in his stead. If Armin didn't believe that, he wouldn't have trusted him with the responsibility in the first place.

But even with that said, every minute that ticked by with no sign of Eren had Armin inwardly panicking. He chewed on his bottom lip in thought. He should excuse himself from class...just to make sure....

Just as he moved to push his chair back to stand, the door of the class room was thrown open. Every head in the room turned in surprise, but for Armin that surprise mingled with relief.

There he was. Red faced, and panting, clearly having arrived in haste, but otherwise unharmed and alive.

"You're an hour late, Jaeger,'' came a stern voice of warning from the instructor.

Instead of offering excuses, Eren merely shrugged and took his seat near the front of the class.

The teacher, probably used to the boy's delinquency, brushed the whole thing aside and continued with his lesson.

Armin let out a breath of relief, his tense shoulders relaxing as he sat back against the chair.

A small smile graced his lips when he felt a light squeeze against his shoulder followed by the whispered words of good luck.

Marco.

He was going to have to thank his friend profusely later on for the favor.

The monotonous drawling coming from the front of the classroom, as well as side conversations being whispered by students around him all became background noise for Armin.

He reflect to himself, how it felt different to be near Eren while in actual, solid form. The prospect of actually speaking with him, interacting with the youth was both nervewracking and exhilirating.

In all the years that he had watched over the boy, Armin has allowed himself to daydream. He would be lying if he didn't admit that it felt lonely, being able to watch but not interact with someone he felt a connection with. So to appease that desire, Armin allowed his thoughts to wander. They were innocent thoughts, mind you. Thoughts that mainly dealt with conversations he would have with Eren. If he ever had the chance, how would he introduce himself to the boy, what things he might say that would grab Eren's attention, which would ultimately allow him to become friends with.

Those thoughts was where Armin's mind wandered now, as he stared blankly at the back of Eren's head. First impressions were certainly important, and Armin was determined to make the best one on Eren. He just had wait at the right moment, to play it 'cool' as it were.

Right. This will be no sweat. He'll just use one of those made up scenarios he'd filed in his mind. Start a topic that'll make Eren want to talk to him.

In his mind, Armin was giving himself quite a pep talk.

And most importantly don't embarras yoursel---

"--ert? Mr. Arlert!"

Armin's head whipped towards the sound of his name being urgently uttered. He stared back at the instructor, looking much like a deer caught in head lights.

His expression must have looked scandalously startled because the class erupted into a fit of snickering and giggling.

"I've asked you to read the second paragraph of the book, but now I see that you don't even have it opened," The teacher let out a long suffering sigh. "Mr. Arlert, as it being your first day, i'll let you off the hook. But please do try to pay attention to the lesson.''

Eren, along with the rest of the class was probably staring at him..and a cautionary glance to the side confirmed that. From the corner of his eyes he could see that Eren had shifted his body to the side to gawk at him.

His face felt like it was on fire, and his throat dry and seemed to be closing in on him. All he could manage as a response was a dazed nod. Thankfully, it was enough for the teacher and he picked someone else to read aloud for him.

Armin wanted nothing more right now that for the ground to open up. At this point, he didn't mind if hell's creatures themselves came up and personally dragged or escorted him down to hell. Anything to escape the humiliation he felt at this moment.

The rest of the class seemed to have gone back to whatever they were doing beforehand, all except for one. The one person that mattered was staring at him. No doubt scrutinizing him with those intense eyes of his...

_He probably thinks I'm an airhead. That's it. He's not going to want to associate with me, even more so , be friends._

Armin inwardly let out a groan, shrinking into his chair while his fingers fumbled and flipped through the pages of the book in front of him.

Maybe he could just wipe everyone's memory in the room and start anew tomorrow? Haha. That would take so much extra work and energy, not to mention the trouble he'd be in for unnecessarily altering people's memories for his own selfish benefit.

Thankfully, the rest of the class period went by without any problems. He'd be even more thankful if he could only make it to the rest of the day without further embarrassing himself, especially in front of Eren. A feat which may prove to be difficult since the rest of his classes were with the teen.

The shrill ringing of a bell signaled the end of the period. Along with the rest of the students, Armin shuffled out of the room, eyes never leaving Eren,'s back while he trailed little ways behind him.

Typical of any public school, the hallway was buzzing with noise. Not only that, it was cramped and Armin found himself being jostled by the crowd. While attempting to maneuver and squeeze through the masses, he lost sight of Eren.

Shoot. He was going to follow him to his next class, since Armin only vaguely remembered its location even after he'd watched Eren navigate these halls. Granted, the perspective of things while you were human and while you were an invisible floating entity was quite different.

This would be so much easier if he could just ghost through everyone, better yet, float above everyone's heads.

Finally, the crowds began to thin out, everyone fleeing to their respective class. Now that there were significantly less people and noise, Armin could finally take a moment to figure out which way---

A second chimed, informing Armin that he was late for P.E.

Were things not going to go his way at all today?

Another bump in the road was when Armin had come to class unprepared and was forced to borrow spare gym uniforms. God the clothes smelled awful. When was the last time someone washed these? To make matters worse, the shorts were a size or two too small on Armin and ended up being really short and uncomfortably tight.

When he came out from the boy's locker room and entered the gymnasium, he noticed that it had been split off into four smaller courts. In between each court was a net stretched between its length. The class had been divided into teams of six and were already in the midst of playing.

Volleyball? He remembered Eren playing this game before. And if he remembered correctly, it was one of the few sports the youth was exceptional at...Blue eyes darted around the expanse of the room in search of Eren, which was interrupted by another voice calling out his name. He nearly jumped.

"Arlert! Court #3 Side A!" The coach barked from the middle of the floor.

Armin's eyes followed to where the man's outstretched hand pointed. He nodded and padded towards the area, self consciously wrapping his arms around his waist in an attempt to shrink into himself.

Armin's breath caught in his throat. Eren....Oh gods, there he was, playing enthusiastically on the team opposing his.

Armin took his place in the back where his teammates had directed him to. Copying the stance taken by the rest of the students, Armin readied himself.  
The few volleys and exchanges were easy enough. Easy, because the ball hadn't come to him and when it did look like it was heading his way, his team members handled it for him. Eventually, the team had to switch positions and Armin ended up in the front, facing none other than Eren Jaager.

Armin gulped. This was the perfect. After a good game, he'd have something to approach Eren with. Use the game as an ice breaker. He would introduce himself, compliment Eren on his ability to play and --

"I've got this!"

He blinked, watching Eren jump after the ball that had come over that net.

It took only seconds until Eren's open palm made contact with the ball, a victorious ''Ha!' prematurely leaving his lips as he spiked it down, sure that one one would be able to save it. It took only another few seconds before that same spiked ball descended and made contact with Armin's startled face.

The blonde crumbled into a heap on the floor.

Armin's head spun, struggling to keep his eyes open, but the bright lights from the ceiling were blinding. His eyes thankfully found relief from the bright lights when unfamiliar and blurry faces staring down at him entered his field of vision.

There were hushed voices, but the ringing in his head made it difficult for him to understand what they were saying expect for one particular voice.  
"--ck! 'm really s-r-y! Sh--! 'your -ose 's blee---!" The voice was garbled and the sentences were disconnected, but Armin knew exactly who it belonged to even before he came into his sights.

In the midst of the confusion, the haziness and the darkness that was slowly consuming him, the only thing that seemed to stand out were a pair of concerned emerald eyes.

Beautiful, troubled green eyes staring down at him and then ....everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? did you think their first meeting would be cliche: love at first sight, flowers and sparkles in the background? Pfft.  
> Lesson # 1: I am a sadist.  
> I really struggled with this chapter because I hadn't planned on narrating their first meeting in detail..haha...orz. not sure if I wanna keep going in this direction because if i do, then this will become a verrrryyy long fic. (A very long, highschool AU flavored fic.)
> 
> Got suggestions, questions, comments, ect.? Come and drop by my tumblr!  
> alphaverse.tumblr.com
> 
> And with that, I am going to pass out in bed. G'night!


End file.
